Memorizing on a Deadline

Hi Greg!
I always enjoy your website and appreciate the support you give to young musicians. I have one question--how do you memorize music on a deadline? I'm looking for a fast but reliable method of memorization.
 - Katie

Dear Katie,

Oh, memory! I hate memorizing music! You'll hear a lot of pianists speak about how they play better without music; and then you'll hear them say that all pianists play better from memory -- that a pianist only really knows a piece once it's memorized. I think this is a load of baloney. It is incredibly close-minded too.

Everybody learns differently. Some people have to write things down, others need to see it, and others need to hear it. Some people rely on rote memory, photographic memory, analytical memory, or aural memory. I remember dutifully taking notes during school classes for years; I thought that was the best way to learn. The trouble was: I couldn't concentrate both on spelling words and listening to the teacher. It wasn't until my third year of college that I realized I learned better -- and retained information better -- if I simply listened to the teacher. No notes at all!

With that distinction in mind, I believe many pianists could perform better with the music in front of them, but they have been lead to believe that they are inferior unless they memorize the score. As a visual person, when I can see the curves and shapes of the counterpoint in a Bach fugue, I play very differently. Unfortunately, I usually just bend to conventions and play from memory anyway.

The memory techniques that I use may not work for you; nevertheless, here goes:

• I memorize just a section of music at a time.
• I learn and memorize everything hands separately.
• I have many, many, many "memory points" -- points in the score that I can jump to at any moment. I rarely find myself actually jumping to a memory point; instead, I use them as stability pillars -- they are like buoys keeping me afloat.

Good luck finding what works for you!

- Greg (Oct. 25, 2009)

Enough Practice?

Hi Greg,
First I would like to congratulate you on you amazing achievements at such a young age. I am a 54 year old mother and a true music lover. As a teenager I studies piano for about 4 years. When I fell in love (with my husband), he became the centre of my universe. There was no room in my life for my piano I thought. Sad to say after 30 years of marriage he vanished from my life (I believe forever). I was heart-broken. One day I found a used piano in a local furniture store. I bought it and started to practice. It was depressing at first. After 25 years (minimum) of not touching the piano I had forgotten everything. I could not even read notes past one octave. I struggled to say the least. It’s been exactly 1 ½ years now. I am happy to say that now I can sight-read quite well and I am playing at about grade 8 level. I practice 3 ½ - 4 hours per day. I want to become a meaningful and a very natural pianist. Please tell my how long will it take? Thanks a million notes.
 - Emma Votre Fan

Hi Emma,

First off, I am sorry for your troubled experiences, but I'm happy to learn that you found some respite in music.

At 3.5 to 4 hours of practice a day, I'd say you're well on your way to becoming a skilled pianist. Of course, it's impossible to answer such a subjective question -- how can I possibly articulate the definition of a "meaningful and natural pianist" and the hours necessary to become one??

My advice to you: forget how long it will take to become "good" or "better" -- instead, focus on having a wonderful time doing exactly what you are doing right now. Enjoy practicing the pieces you are currently learning and forget about what is yet to come. I've been playing the piano for over 20 years, but I've loved *every* day of it.

- Greg (Nov. 4, 2009)

Live In the Moment

Greg,
its the second time im asking this question and nobody cares.im 27 ,ive been playing for about 3 years.im not good enough but i 'd love to become a good pianist,what should i do?and is it possible considering my age and few years of playing?
  - Celine

Celine,

You'd have a better chance at winning the lottery than becoming a concert pianist at this point in your life. That said, there is no doubt in my mind that you could become a "good" pianist someday in the future. Actually, who knows, perhaps you already are a fantastic pianist.

My advice for you is the same advice I gave to Emma above: forget how long it will take to become "good" or "better" -- instead, focus on having a wonderful time doing exactly what you are doing right now. Enjoy practicing the pieces you are currently learning and forget about what is yet to come. I've been playing the piano for over 20 years, but I've loved *every* day of it.

Seriously. Live in the moment. You'll definitely get better with time, but playing the piano is one of those things that should be awesome all the time, regardless of your ability.

- Greg (Nov. 4, 2009)

Scales

Hey Greg!
I love your website and your music. To study most standard literature, how fast should I be able to play scales? I understand that the quality of the scale is more important than the speed and that more speed will come with time and relxation. Thanks,
Josh

Hi Josh,

Oh goodness, you're asking the wrong person. I've never played scales -- not one day in my life -- never. I'd much rather play music than learn scales. ;-)

- Greg (Nov. 4, 2009)

Advancement speeds; teachers

Hi Greg,
I have been taken piano lessons for over 6 years now. I started taking lessons when I was 43 years old. I usually spend at least an hour per day practicing, but I'm not happy with the outcomes. I can play Fur Elise, some of Bach's pieces, and Chopin. But, each piece took me so long time, like two-three months, to master. Is it normal for my level? Secondly, my goal is to play pop music but I have been trained with classical music teacher. Should switch teacher to pop music teacher now? Thirdly, when can I stop taking lessons then practice on my own?
 - Vince

Dear Vince,

Playing the piano is hard! It takes unlimited perseverance to master *any* piece of music; "unlimited" because you'll never really master it -- you can always improve! Even concert pianists look for outside advice and seek the counsel of teachers. I wouldn't worry -- two or three months is not unreasonable at all for the pieces you mentioned, especially considering that you've been playing for only six years.

If you'd like to play some pop music, then you should! I assume you are playing the piano for your own, personal enjoyment; if so, then you should occasionally be able to play what you want! I agree that classical music training is important, but perhaps you could spend some time every day working on a song you like. Or, you could sight read a new tune each day. The more you improve your sight reading, the faster you'll learn the notes to new pieces (though it will still take a while to "master" the music), and the less frustrated you will be during your practice sessions.

- Greg (May 10, 2009)

Concert Pianist In Private

Dear Greg,
Is it possible to become a concert pianist and not perform? I am just starting to play the piano and would like to play at the concert pianist level...just not with the audience, career, all that jazz. How long does this usually take and how many hours should I practice a day?? Thanks!!
 - James

Dear James,

Of course! Who's going to stop you? I believe that music making can be incredibly personal and solitary at times; there's no need to always have an audience at hand. Go ahead, transform your home into your own private stage!

How much practice is necessary? I've been hearing this 10,000 hour rule touted a great deal in social circles (after an Malcolm Gladwell made it the subject of his recent book, "Outliers"), and I think there is something to it. The rule: to become truly fluent at a specialized skill, one must devote at least 10,000 hours of practice. I'm certain this also relates to piano playing.

That said, you can still have a great time playing piano music with less than 10,000 hours of practice under your belt!

- Greg (March 6, 2009)

Grasping Things Quickly

Hey Greg! I was wondering how long it usually takes you to learn a piano concerto. I am working on my first Mozart piano concerto (in d minor) and I feel like I am moving at a painfully slow pace. I have been working on it for a week and have only made it through seven pages. I am nineteen and I've been playing for two years. Is this a reasonable pace? or am I fine and just very impatient?
 - Elsie

Dear Elsie,

You've only been playing the piano for two years and you're already working on a Mozart concerto?! Chances are that you've bitten off more than you can chew. I wouldn't feel too bad about seven pages in seven days.

Every concerto is different; I couldn't possibly state how long it takes me to learn a concerto. Seriously -- it could take as short as a week and as long as a year, depending on the difficulty of the piece. When I'm in a hurry, sometimes I have to do it very fast, but I prefer taking my time so that I learn the music well and thoroughly.

- Greg (March 6, 2009)

Do What You Love

Hi Greg,
I am a high school student who's been studying ARCT repertoire for 3-4 years now. I'm in an academically demanding program and I study hard. Nowadays I find that because of my studies I tend to practice piano less and less (AHHH!!). I only get to practice an hour a day at most- if I'm lucky. Last year, I entered a lot of competitions and played at nationals for one of them. Overall, I think I did relatively well (compared to the extremely limited number of practice hours I put in, that is). I love music, but I find that in the past I've been putting it aside just because I thought "what am I going to do in life with a music degree? Let's just be a doctor" haha. But I've just recently realized that I actually want to do what I really love to do. Do you think I should drop out of my academic program and devote myself fully to the piano? But what if I decide I want to go back..? Ahh :s
 - Confused

Dear Confused,

Wow! These are intense questions!

I'm obviously of the mentality that one should base one's career on what he or she loves to do. What may surprise you is that I also believe one can love to do a great many things. Job satisfaction comes from how you chose to respond to situations at work, not the situations themselves. How did I get through high school without going crazy? I made the most of my assignments -- I turned them into projects that interested me. A simple report became a full magazine spread; an essay became a passionate opinion piece; a science project became a wild and engaging museum piece. I filled speeches with appropriate magic tricks, and I found ways to insert music into everything. I may have created more work for myself, but because I was invested in what I was doing, it felt like less.

The point is: you can probably turn anything you do into something you love. It all depends on your approach. I honestly believe that you can drop out of your academic program or you can stay registered, and in either case, you can find ways to be happy.

And what if you want to go back? If you are truly determined, you'll find a way to make anything happen.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

- Greg (Dec. 30, 08)

Sight Reading Every Day

Greg!
Thank you first of all for your performance in Edmond, OK on Nov. 17! It was truly delightful. I was wondering what piece you might suggest to someone who has taken piano lessons since age 5 (and continued through the first two years of college), but has played on and off. I now teach piano to about 6 students and would like to keep my skills up. After seeing your performance last night with the Browns, I'm encouraged to throw myself back into classical music. I'm not sure what piece to start with. Any suggestions? I've played: Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven) and movement #2 of the same work, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (Debussy), a number of Bach inventions, a number of Minuets by Mozart. Thanks again and thank you for your musically brilliant arrangements. ~Adar

Dear Adar,

Thanks for the kind words! I had fun performing in Edmond!

I think your questions would best be answered by a personal teacher who knows your strengths and weaknesses. He or she could guide you to pieces that would help you improve quickly and efficiently.

To get you started, there are some great pieces by Chopin you could consider -- nocturnes, waltzes, mazurkas, etc. Also, try learning some Mozart sonatas (K. 331, first movement, maybe?) or pieces from Bartók's "Microcosmos."

Another thing you could consider: sightreading. Sightread everyday -- find pieces that are easy enough to sightread (if that means starting with "Beginner Piano Book A," that's okay!) and as the months go by, gradually work your way up to sightreading Mozart and Beethoven sonatas. The better you are at sightreading, the quicker you'll be able to learn the pieces you intend to study in depth.

Good luck, and HAVE FUN!

- Greg

Career Choices

Dear Greg,
Im currently starting on Chopin's Revolutionary etude How long would it take to fluently play the Revolutionary study? I just seriously got into tonight, and just want to know..Im an okay sightreader, and I learn pretty fast..I learned Beethoven's 1st mov. of the Appassionata in about a week! But this piece seems a bit more challenging-as in note wise. Currently the most challenging piece I can play is Rachmaninoff prelude op.3 no.2 Scriabin's etude no. 2 and 3 op.65, and Beethoven's full Appassionata. Oh, and by the way, what is the salary of a concert pianist ?For the past couple of years the piano has been my passion, and I thinking about becoming a concert pianist.What are the benefits of majoring in piano?Ive been playing for 8 years now(I'm currently 14).Can I do it on the side if I become a film scorer? John Williams did that I think..
With all due respect, Kalen.

Dear Kalen,

Your questions don't have straightforward answers! It will take some pianists years to learn Chopin's Etude in C minor, Op. 10, No. 12; it will take others only a few weeks. There is no prescribed salary for a concert pianist; the total sum depends on the number of concerts performed and the size of the venues. Some pianists are impressively weathy; most are not.

Yes, you can play piano and be a film composer. All musical experiences are useful as a musician -- I've learned a great deal about playing the piano from composing (as well as from playing the violin!).

The benefits of "majoring" in piano vary from person to person. A degree in piano performance gives some people the time, focus, and education to hone their skills as a pianist. During my years at Juilliard, I not only became a better pianist, but I also learned about myself -- my strengths, my weaknesses, interests, and goals -- and this has served me immensely in my career.

Best wishes to you!!

- Greg